3rd Saskatoon overpass hit by vehicle in a month

A third overpass in Saskatoon has been damaged by a vehicle this month, creating traffic snarls once again for drivers in the city.

According to Saskatoon police, officers responded to the scene of a collision on Sunday between a large vehicle and the train bridge overpass on Circle Drive between 108th Street and Attridge Drive.

By about 4:10 p.m. Sunday, police said trains had resumed operation on the overpass, but vehicle traffic on Circle Drive between 108th Street and Attridge Street would remain restricted to a single northbound lane.

Police said they continue to investigate the collision.

The crash came days after two separate crashes. The first occurred on March 11 when an over-height load clipped the 108th Street overpass. The city later said the overpass was safe for use.

That incident came six days after Saskatoon police said a semi with a trailer carrying a piece of equipment caused significant damage to the Highway 16 overpass on March 5.

According to police, the semi was travelling in the northbound lane of Highway 11 from Regina entering the city limits and was too high for the structure, also known as the Circle Drive overpass.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories.

Hours later, Saskatoon engineers assessed the damage and opened one eastbound lane of Circle Drive and one northbound lane of Highway 11 for traffic to proceed.

Under the city’s traffic bylaw, it can fine for infrastructure damages at a maximum of $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for corporations.

Following its investigation into the March 5 incident, Saskatchewan Highway Patrol charged the operator of the semi-truck with offences including driving with undue care and attention, operating with a major defect and exceeding maximum height restrictions.

No charges have been announced in connection with the March 11 incident. The investigation is ongoing, police said.

Repairs from the two previous crashes are still ongoing and traffic restrictions remain on both Highway 11 and Highway 16.